


No More Monkeys

by GravitasErrant



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: A little off my usual track, Angst, F/M, Framework AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:35:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21885328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GravitasErrant/pseuds/GravitasErrant
Summary: The Framework took Leopold Fitz and made sure that only Leopold remained. Without Jemma Simmons, what other people can help him hold onto his true self? Maybe his old friend Hunter.
Relationships: Framework AIDA/Framework Leo Fitz, Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons, Leo Fitz/Lance Hunter
Comments: 3
Kudos: 10





	No More Monkeys

**Author's Note:**

> If there was a Framework scenario where Jemma and Fitz had to be forced apart, Fitz and Hunter or Mack would actually make a lot of sense out of the pool of available characters. So here we go. My OTP is and always will be Fitzsimmons. Those kids have been through way too much to not have a good ending at season 7.
> 
> Since the Framework is the darkest timeline, I originally wanted to see if I could do the House of Cards approach where Frank is with his wife and bodyguard but as I was writing, it struck me as off. Not because such a relationship couldn’t exist and have its own life but because it was beyond out of character for a romantic like Fitz or the kind of thing Hunter would be okay with since he’s already protective of Fitz to even let someone like Ophelia near. Ophelia is all about Fitz, so no way she’d be into someone else, let alone her own digital creation (it’s not Janet and Derek from The Good Place). This is what came to be without Simmons.
> 
> 12/24 Update: Oh wow, I did not expect the reaction I got to this. Again, my apologies if I gave the impression of anti-poly. I wrote Fitzhunter based on the next logical option after Framework isolation. It was a character based thing the same way I couldn’t twig to HoC poly, especially as a demi-romantic. This isn’t to say I don’t think poly relationships don’t work (I see them/hang out with them all the time living in one of the most liberal US cities). Only that it takes certain personalities and a type of trust to make them successful like all forms of healthy relationships. I personally couldn’t make that psychological leap for these characters for the same reason I’d hesitate to pair Fitz/Daisy. Those characters wouldn’t be inclined unless under very specific circumstances which is a creative failing on my end. I could see FitzHunter working as a couple since they have a great dynamic and mutual trust. I can see poly for characters in something like The Magicians or Sense8 (fantastic shows) but the groundwork is already there for all of them.
> 
> Again to who I offended, I am sorry and hope you read this (I do not use tumblr) since I feel sick to my stomach to think I made your struggles/perspective feel small or ignored. And to know that I celebrate your work and tenacity against your struggles. I never wrote out of upset or hate for any ships but to understand how to get from A to B for it. Same way I got to understand many ships like Spuffy (it really shouldn’t work but does) or Castiel/Dean (they’re a very cute odd couple that care deeply). My brain is a lot like Abed from Community. Dysfunctionally needs to run the simulation before I can comprehend.
> 
> If you’re a fan of a ship, it is absolutely your prerogative. It was a mental exercise to see if I could get there through character and couldn’t because of character. However if that’s your ship, then more power to you. My perspective should not demean any of your values since we all have our own. In fact, your first fic in it got me interested in examining it since it was a great take on a healthy poly relationship that I wish was more commonly accepted (even in a city like I am in) but where I mentally had to dissect why I could only see those actors in it and not those characters. I am open to convincing given the right fic though. I tagged it this way as those were the pairings I played with but not specifically to gaslight anyone. I only wanted to see where I could take those characters in the narrative. The very heart of the fic was how love survived in Fitz (his father being homophobic, Fitz still falls for Hunter because his heart is just that big, and it all being taken away and mutated into Ophelia’s narrative). However I see I was being insensitive and I hate that I soured your day in any way.
> 
> I hope your 2020 is better as well and have a happy New Year. Truly.
> 
> Written in a night or two to keep up with work but hopefully it's still coherent without a beta

**Scotland, 1998**

In the bright light of day, Leopold Fitz shifted his heavy bag over his shoulder and swept sweat off his pale skin. His bag was simply too heavy for a ten-year-old. However, when father demanded that he carry it for him, Fitz knew better than to deny him, especially when he had the rare opportunity of the reward he was at now—the zoo.

Around him, there were other children with their parents laughing and talking as they milled about. One little girl his age was only a few feet from him and seemed just as excited as he felt about the monkeys nearby. Fitz wanted to smile at her and let her know that she had a kindred spirit. Something about her mahogany hair in the sunlight and pretty, freckled face seemed familiar, but Fitz couldn’t put his finger on it before her mother called.

“Jemma!”

Without even the slightest notice of the strange pale boy staring at her, Jemma disappeared to join her mother. Nervously glancing behind himself, Fitz shuffled to where she was at the monkey exhibition. He couldn’t quite see over the bars. With another glance behind, he bit his lip and leaned over.

“Keep your back straight, Leopold. Hunch any more and you might as well be bending over. Like that monkey.”

Fitz looked where his father was pointing. It was a baboon bent over, presenting its posterior to a male.

Alistair Fitz glared sternly down at his son. “Are you a monkey?”

Fitz was tempted to say he was a in a way and that it wasn’t much of an insult since on average, monkeys were more kind than humans. The humans at his school at least. “…No.”

Alistair nodded approvingly before straightening his collar. “Ugh, you can see its cunt.”

“Um…” Fitz said hesitantly.

“What?”

“It’s—it’s not a…”

“Just speak, boy. Your mother only had you for the weekend and you’re already copying her.”

“It’s not—it doesn’t have a—it actually has a scrotum.”

“A what?”

“It’s a boy monkey.”

Alistair twisted his lips as he looked. “Ah, disgusting. I’ll have to talk to the zookeeper about this. Come along, Leopold. We still have another half hour of this before we get to your judo lesson. You’ve been doing your exercises while at your mother’s?”

“Yes, father.”

“Do you need more arnica before we go?”

Fitz’s hand trembled as he resisted stretching his back, exacerbating the bruise from father’s last disciplinary lesson. He shook his head. No sign of weakness or it gets worse.

“Good, we’ll get you in shape before your time at the academy.”

**London Sci-Ops Academy, 2008**

Ophelia leaned closer to Leopold’s neck as he examined the microcircuit on the desk. Leopold’s attention slightly wavered as he inhaled her vanilla scent and felt her raven tresses brush his shoulder. She whispered in his ear, “Can you thread it correctly? We need it wearable presenting to Garrett.”

“It’ll be done when it’s done.”

Glancing up, Leopold saw that Ophelia’s eyes seemed to flash with something. He then remembered something his mother once said. “I’ll finish it. You’ll be all right in time.”

Sometimes, people aren’t looking for a solution. They just need reassurance from someone they trust. Leopold didn’t know why Ophelia trusted him so much or why someone so pretty always seemed to linger around him, but he was a little thankful for the company since people at the academy were just the same as at school. They just didn’t understand him or were just jealous of his genius. Not Ophelia. She was the only one to recognize and celebrate his genius the way she never questioned his wild experiment ideas or complimented his work. It was why he kept going back and forth on asking her to dinner. Actual dinner. Somewhere…nice.

“Thank you, Leopold. You’re always so dependable.” Ophelia’s fingers lightly trailed over the top of his hand. Leopold allowed himself the temporary weakness of an open smile. All he needed was her.

Well, Ophelia or his chat pen-pal in the New York Sci-ops. Speaking of…

Fitz began checking his email.

_From: hermionesbestfriend@sci-ops.edu_

_To: doctorzaius@sci-ops.edu_

_Subject: Biology Lessons_

_Dear Zaius (I refuse to call you doctor just yet),_

_I’m still out of luck on my samples this week and my second dissertation needs to be on schedule! Ugh, I wish I could follow your advice and go for some scones, but I’ve been careful to avoid any unnecessary sugar or carbs._

_I can hear you right now, Zaius. I may not have heard your voice in person, but I have a perfect mental impression recorded since your voice even written is just that unmistakably judgmental. I’m not being vain, Zaius. Sugar is a substance that needs to be carefully consumed. You wouldn’t believe what Americans do to virtually every food possible. I never even knew that you could combine fried chicken with a waffle and maple syrup of all things. It’s like they want to lead the world in diabetes!_

_I know you’ll love them so I’ll have to see if I can send one to London as thanks for fixing my engineering partner’s design last week. Or perhaps revenge. Don’t think I didn’t notice all the little drawings of cabbage in the corners of the sheets. Milton is perfectly nice and agreeable. He’s been very supportive. For instance, we’re about to do some testing on monkeys and I have my reservations on their safety, but we do need them to pass onto the next phase._

_Still…there are risks…How is it in London?_

_Yours,_

_Crookshanks_

Fitz’s smile widened on his face. Of course, Crookshanks would notice the cabbages. In his defense, it wasn’t his fault that Milton had that profile image so public. It was just bad genetics and social media management. He didn’t mean to look the idiot up but honestly, he needed to check if Crookshanks was surrounded by people at her superior level which he was delighted to find out was exactly his own level. He began to write back.

_From: doctorzaius@sci-ops.edu_

_To: hermionesbestfriend@sci-ops.edu_

_Subject: RE: Biology Lessons_

_Judgmental? I believe you’re confusing the word with “taste”. Sugar does help the brain. You’ve seen the studies on neurotransmitters and proper glucose provision to your neurons._

_After all, who doesn’t think better after tea with some sugar? Regardless, I’m sorry to hear about your samples. I know how frustrating it is to not be within deadline of a project. I’m currently helping Ophelia with hers. She’s leaning on me and I hate to disappoint. As for the monkeys…_

Leopold paused. He knew what was pragmatic and best for scientific advancement, but he also still thought of monkeys as one of those precious few innocent things not to be disturbed.

_Do what you feel best. I trust your judgment. London is fine and---d_

“Leopold?”

“Yes, Ophelia?”

“I believe someone is here to see you.”

Leopold looked up. It was Garrett and another man that was only a few years older than himself with a short cut and well-defined jawline. Part of him couldn’t help but notice it wasn’t the only thing well defined.

“Hello there, Leopold. I was just showing around one of our new combat TA’s around. He’ll be assigned to you next week. Meet Hunter.”

Leopold reached out his hand to shake.

“He’s a proper one, eh?”

“Hunter…”

“Sorry, if he ain’t a cricket enthusiast, then I’m all about Man U.”

Leopold smirked. “Welcome to the Busby boys. We’re always happy to have another.”

Hunter’s eyes flashed with mischievous energy. “Liverpool, mate.”

“Ah, I’ll buy you a pint to cry in on Wednesday then.”

The two grinned at each other. Returning to his work, Fitz was surprised to see Ophelia’s eyes darting from his face to the two leaving the room. Her beautiful face was almost inhumanly stony. Her lips were a flat line.

“Anything wrong, Ophelia?”

The instant change in expression took Fitz aback. Her reassuring smile was almost too perfect.

“No. Just need to correct something a bit.”

**London Sci-Ops Academy, 2010**

“What’s wrong, mate?” Hunter tossed a towel at Leopold’s head as they entered the sauna. “Is it Ophelia?”

“No, well yes. But not specifically, no. It’s Crookshanks.” Leopold stretched his back and massaged the sore parts. He knew he’d been gaining more lean muscle, but it didn’t mean he’d enjoy it too much at the cost of lab time and the ability to sit comfortably. “What?”

Lance’s eyes darted away to the towel around his waist and adjusted it. “Nothing, mate.”

“She keeps asking me what I think about…scientific ethics. Like how far can we push a boundary. She asked me about monkeys a while ago and we both came to conclusion that sometimes progress requires some sacrifice. Ophelia really helped me settle on that after, well…”

“Well, there’s sacrifice and then there’s Auschwitz, mate.”

Leopold’s eyes flickered guiltily. Lance didn’t know about the next steps to come. SHIELD was just too weak to take on what needed to be done. However, he could convince Lance that the path coming was the right one. Ophelia would help. She helped him understand what needed to be done for their future together and to make his father proud of the man he’d become in HYDRA.

“So what’s going on with Ophelia?”

Leopold shrugged. “Just the usual. Says that I’m not spending more time with her but we both agreed we’re both extremely busy with our meetings and work. To that, she just claims I’m just spending it with you. Calls you my work husband.”

Lance laughed. For some reason, Lance’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Yeah, imagine that.”

**The Triskelion, 2013**

“Crookshanks hasn’t emailed me in a while…”

Ophelia glanced up from her tablet in the car. “And?”

“It’s just…unusual. We’ve both been busy and although we decided not to share all but the most transparent details about where we are in SHIELD to protect classifications…I feel like we’re getting more distant. She was telling me about some serum she was working on. Supposed to help people in a big way and how it would boost her career but had to keep quiet…I understand I suppose.”

“Nonsense, you’re getting higher up and so is she. We’ve been recruited for the STRIKE division with you as the engineering head for weapons development. You’re very important now.”

Leopold barked a laugh. “You’re the only one to not say it sarcastically.”

“Hunter.”

“He’s supposed to be my security. Not my critic.”

“Oh,” Ophelia said lightly. Her eyes were very focused on her tablet. “Well, you are his superior. It isn’t appropriate that he share his opinion as bluntly as that.”

Leopold nodded. She was right. He had to take control and avoid showing any weakness, no matter what. No relationship was worth it. Even ones with charming, roguish smirks and shared taste in beer.

“What are you working on? Can it wait until after we get dinner and head to the hotel?”

Ophelia finally looked at him with a strangely inhuman hunger and curiosity. “Nothing that can’t wait. Especially since I’ve convinced a new brilliant head scientist to take a look.”

Her hands set down the tablet to unbuckle her seatbelt in the back of the car. The driver up front closed the blinds. Ophelia had a wolfish grin as she slid one alabaster smooth leg over his lap, her pencil skirt riding up her thighs. Leopold felt his pulse rise as he savagely captured her lips in a struggle for power.

Before applying his deft fingers to the last button of her top, he noticed the words on her tablet. What was GHB-325 and who was Jemma Simmons?

**The HUB, 2014**

“I’m resigning. Let’s have a last one for the road.”

“No.” Leopold said flatly. He didn’t bother looking away from his holotable in the lab.

“Wha—I’m leaving. You can’t stop me.” Lance crossed his arms and glared at Leopold.

“I can and I am. Why are you even contemplating this? You’ve got a good compensation package, a full team…”

Lance rolled his eyes. “Doesn’t matter. I had all that waiting for me at a dozen different private security firms. Plus I wouldn’t have to deal with all the bloody red tape and paperwork. Do you know why I stayed here?”

Leopold didn’t meet Lance’s gaze. “No. It honestly makes no sense if that’s the situation.”

Lance’s voice was gentle. “The reason why has nothing to do with ‘sense’, Fitz.”

“It’s Leopold.”

Leopold heard nothing back until he looked up and found Lance standing right next to him. He then knelt next to Leopold’s chair and held his hand.

“No, it’s not. You told me to say Fitz a few nights…”

For a moment, a glimmer of the inner Fitz leaked out. The devoted and caring romantic deep down. “I have Ophelia.”

“And now you’ve said the answer to your next question…” Lance looked at Fitz expectantly.

“Why are you now leaving?”

“I’ll always be there for you. And you can always leave. I don’t know what you’ve got planned with Ophelia—Don’t look at me like that. I’m your work husband. And maybe…something more. I don’t know the details but…I just want to remind you there’s always a way out.”

Fitz leaned closer to Lance’s face. “I…thank you.”

Lance’s eyes were half-lidded until they weren’t.

_Boom!_

A tall black man in a tattered SHIELD uniform with glowing red eyes walked into the room. On his forearm was a missile aimed at Leopold. There was no other choice for Lance.

It was too late for Leopold to activate his EMP. It was also over too soon. Fitz kicked the twitching cyborg body off of Hunter. He vaguely recognized the corpse as Mike Peterson. It was one of Coulson’s loose agents. He’d deal with that later. For now, he held Hunter’s limp body in his arms. Lance’s lips were moving and Fitz leaned closer to listen. His ear feeling the same tingles from his warm breath.

He couldn’t hear anything. Fitz then turned his head to face Lance, who immediately brushed his lips against his. Hunter wasn’t trying to get him to hear better. He wanted Fitz’s face close enough.

Last one for the road.

Hunter’s head fell back and Fitz’s lips tried to follow but stopped. No point now.

**The Triskelion, 2014**

Ophelia smiled brightly as she saw her beloved walk into her office. She leaned back against the desk as she took in his new three piece suit, sharply tailored and pressed. His lean figure moved with almost fluid mechanical strength. His beautiful blue eyes were something that she could never invent on her own and she couldn’t wait to gaze into them with her own physical ones someday.

“Madame.”

She couldn’t help the smirk on her face. It was all so perfect now. “Was the academy cleansed?”

“Yes. Last one to go was their biological science division. We had to scrub their staff and remaining test stock.”

Ophelia already knew that as well as the demise of any dissenters in the biological division. She knew it was only a facsimile, but she kept footage of the one the raid was intended for. It would go alongside the one of Mike Peterson’s raid. It wasn’t easy arranging that prison transfer. She couldn’t help but ask. “No more monkeys?”

Leopold’s face was blank. “No more monkeys.”

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, I'm in a bit of a dark mood but I do feel like in order for Fitz to have actually fully embraced his dark side, he had to have had some knowledge of love and loss to fully embrace what little simulation of love Ophelia can give. 
> 
> In addition to the House of Cards approach and the Framework story appeal, I’ll also admit to writing this to try and wrap my head around the new ship I’m seeing by trying to do it with Fitz's character (had to be something to it since I'm seeing writers I like give it a shot)...and sorry to say, not my thing but respect to anyone who can see it. Even though I’ve been around fanfic for more than a decade (in various aliases and fandoms), I am getting a little put-off by the uptick in poly shipping for one of those rare OTPs like Fitzsimmons. The ones where they’ve been tried and tested time and again with realistic growth and distinct bond. It's actually one of those depictions that make me believe in love and soulmates as a concept where, to shamelessly quote an awesome show (The Good Place): "Soulmates are made". Fitzsimmons embodies it realistically and convincingly.
> 
> To me, the trend seems really OOC since Fitz is all about Simmons and vice versa. Fitz’s speech to Ophelia about not having room in his heart for 2 people alone solidifies that. And we already know Simmons buries her emotions so when she unveils something, it rings true and deeply surprising like her half-serious joke in that hilarious Kitson ep on how Fitz better be dead than in the brothels. Plus we know both would get jealous and possessive (Fitz in the obvious way and Jemma in a frighteningly discreet but appropriately English one). I’m not disparaging any other takes since all ships are fair game under “Death of the Author” but this is how I personally see it.
> 
> Jemma and Fitz couldn’t really be with anyone else once they find each other. Basically set in vibranium. Fitz is a romantic and Jemma’s love is intense to the point of recklessness and possible mariticide. They're too bonded to want anyone else in that particular orbit. In my mind, that’s why Ophelia likely ran every scenario and found that permanently separating Jemma was the only way she had a chance with Fitz. It's the only way Hunter would have a chance with Fitz. Or Mack with Fitz. Or Daisy or Bobbi with Simmons. Still baffled as to how Jemma would be into Hunter or Bobbi for Fitz. It's just too left field of character for me. Just my two cents. All other perspectives are open since this is fanfic.


End file.
